Fractured
by JJBluebell
Summary: They were best friends from the age of eight, Samantha, Spencer and Isaac but unlike the twins Isaac didn't understand when life started to turn on him. They helped him through, they helped each other but then they started keeping secrets, Isaac was a werewolf, Sam was getting worse every day and Spencer was just trying to not fall apart. Can their Friendship survive? Can they?
1. Chapter 1

It's strange really, how things turn out. No one ever expects what actually happens to happen, not really, yeah sometimes we suspect but we hope we're wrong, in the end that's what keeps us going, the hope that things will get better… but sometimes (most times, really) that's just not how it turns out.

The Button's were people who knew that far too well, from the day they were born it was kind of a sick joke, but that's a story for another time.

This story starts at 4:32pm on a Thursday, a woman looked at her two beautiful blonde doll eyed eight year old's with a tight lipped smile and quivering hands, her clothes looked to big on her neglected, slender frame and in no way matched her makeup that was messy and overdone for someone so naturally beautiful "now I'll be back Saturday, so I want you two to be angel's while I'm gone ok?"

They watched her with their blue specked minted orbs before clinging on to hug their mother tight, she smelled of cough syrup and sickly sweet perfume. Over their shoulder Nico smiles under the proud gaze of the brunette watching tearfully before reaching out to her with a scared tone "Elsie…"

Elsie moves from around the small boy and girl to take the too skinny frame of her best friend into her arms with a smile "you're doing the right thing Nico, just you wait; it's all going to be ok now."

Nico smiled weakly before getting into the waiting cab and leaving the three behind with barely a tentative look back.

When Saturday rolled around the twins waited up as long as they could, eventually passing out on a blanket by the front door, by Monday Elsie was permanently attached to the phone, leaving message after endless message…

After two weeks the small pair sat on top of the stairs watching Elsie cry angrily into the phone with a hushed tone "what are you talking about? That interview was set; everything was set and you… Nico you can't do this, think about Sam and Spencer for gods sake! your kids need you, they need their mother! ... Just, no, what? What about the money I gave you? …You what? Nico please just come back, we can figure it out…Nico? _**Nico?**_!"

As a tear rolled down her cheeks Elsie threw the phone into the couch in emotional torment before burying her worry heavy head in her hands as she sobs, that is until the sweetest voice asks the same question that had been repeated at least a hundred times that fortnight "Mimzy, when's mommy coming home?"

At the nickname that had been painstakingly bestowed on her when the two were too young to pronounce her name Elsie spins around faster than a heartbeat to find brother and sister hand in hand, it physically hurts as she tries to hide her tears while slapping on her brightest smile she could muster, unable to tell the poor innocent children the awful truth "I'm sorry Baby's, Mommy's trip is lasting longer than we thought, but she misses you and she'll try to be back soon."

Knelt before the pair she'd expected them to cry, maybe even storm off in a tantrum, what she hadn't expected was them to share a look, a sad stare that made her blink twice at the secret link known only to them before Spencer takes a deep breath and puffs out his tiny chest, the way a grown man would before doing something big and important. He gently places his small little hands on either side of Elsie's shoulders and look's her straight in the eye, a look far too old to ever grace a boy so young, and nods firmly "it'll be ok."

Casting a glance over to Sam, who wore a sad tragic little smile on her angelic, tearful face, Elsie gathered that wasn't the first time he's had to say those words and it broke her heart. When Nico had shown up on her door after so long, pale and sweating from withdrawal, begging for help with her two precious, hungry little mites in hand Elsie had thought that this was finally it, that Nico was finally getting back on track, was finally returning to the girl she remembered so fondly, but looking at the small creatures before her Elsie knew that it was all just about Nico, it's always been Nico. So with open arms and a kiss to their heads Elsie nuzzled them both closely with all she had to give, I mean for god's sake their just children "Yeah, it will… it'll be ok, I promise."

That was the last time they asked about their mother, they were eight, not stupid!

By the end of the month things where better, they were far from ok, Spencer still refused to leave Sam's side and Sam still liked to smash things but they were eating more than two forkfuls a day they we're probably used to, almost the whole plate now and they no longer locked themselves away for hours on end in whatever small space they could hide in , so yeah it's better. Elsie got the guest room's done up nice for the twins, there still decorating, Spencer keeps changing his mind and Sam just didn't know what color she wanted, still half convinced in her little head that Elsie was going to ship them off somewhere, but Elsie was patient with the pair, got them new toys and clothes that actually fit and aren't worn into practically dust. Surprisingly they didn't seem to phased about their mother's vanishing act and that worried Elsie more than she liked, she wondered if Nico had ever actually cared, weather she ever really took care of her children and judging by their underfed frames and lack of well, anything, she guessed not but she was going to take care of them, she'd almost sorted out the paper work and everything...that's what a god parents for right?

Elsie watched them playing outside with the new bikes she'd bought them, black and red with flame stickers for Spencer and pink with glitter tassels and stabilizers for Sam. They looked happy enough but one little boy didn't, not that she'd really noticed the kid standing near the street light eyes flickering between watching his brother and father enjoying a game of basketball in their yard and the two siblings riding their bikes gleefully, but someone else noticed… "do you want to play with us?"

"W-what?" the boy all but jumped out of his skin as he looked at the pair who'd abandoned their playing to talk to him but he didn't get a chance to answer as Sam giggled with a flick of skirt and take's the boys hand, dragging him past her unanswered brother "of course he wants to play with us!"

Watching his sister steal the boy away Spencer shrugged before rushing over to grab the hose, bikes forgotten on the lawn, and spraying them both for walking off on him. As the drenched little girl laughed, wiping dripping blonde curls from her eyes she shouted with a glint in her minted green orbs "HEY! No fair!"

"Let's get him!" Sam called as she chased her brother around and he kept spraying them, fighting them off with the force of the water. The shy boy finally started laughing as he caught up to Spencer and struggled with him for the hose, soaking them both. Elsie laughed from her spot on the porch and noticed the neighbor boy's family stop to watch, his mother had emerged with a tray of lemonade and had her husband's arm draped around her shoulders with cheerful smiles while the elder brother gagged on his half guzzled drink.

They all watched the three blonde haired youngsters have the time of their lives, before falling to the floor in exhaustion, leaving the hose to flap about while two pairs of sweet minted green orbs lock with sky blue and the boy asks "what's your name's?"

"Samantha, but I like Sam better and this loser is Rat!" the girl laughed with a twirl of her wet locks between her fingers.

Shoving his sister almost to the ground Spencer growls "shut it Mouse! I'm Spencer… we live here now." he says it like it's an achievement, something special.

"I'm Isaac, Isaac Lahey and I live right... there" The shy boy smiles, pointing over to his family as water dribbles from his hair down his face.

Isaac watches as the twins share one of their secret connected stares before shouting as one over their shoulder's "Mimzy, can we keep him?"

Both families laughed as the three continued to try and drown each other.

That was a good day, one of few, for both houses… but it was more than that, it was the catalyst of things to come, because misery loves company and all that jazz right?

Yeah… right...


	2. Chapter 2

It had been almost three years since the Button's somehow landed into their mother's home town, Spencer couldn't remember if they had her eyes or those of the father she had never named, Sam stopped freezing up with hope and worry every time someone had the same hair color as Nico's or a similar tattered jacket.

Isaac had because a main fixture in their little world during that short time, the three kids constantly over at the others house as if it were their own, raiding the fridge and coursing a long trail of mess, Mr. Lahey was actually kind of scary sometimes but Claire, his wife, was always able to calm him down with a single look and Camden would laugh about how his mom was magic or something like one of Isaac's comic book hero's and Elsie had taken on the role of Parent with grace and when she wasn't pulling her hair out she kind of liked it… when they slept.

Just kidding…well kind of.

"What are you losers doing?" Camden asked from the door of the Lahey attic, having doubled back at seeing the blonde trio.

"Sshh, you're going to blow our cover!" Sam glared from over her shoulder while Spencer stared through the binoculars they'd 'browed' from Camden's room.

Walking over the Letterman wearing teen nudged his brother "what's all this?"

Isaac had an unsure smile on his face as he bit his thumb nail and looked over to the homemade catapult that had been created with masking tape, rubber bands, a bucket and the remains of the surfboard Sam had smashed to pieces after Camden had made her cry, she never told anyone, not even Spencer what was said but after an awkward apology and some pizza she was pretty forgiving "I told them not to but…"

"Come on, it's not like he doesn't deserve it." Spencer smiled while moving to load the bucket-catapult with the small tower of balloons.

Snatching up the binoculars Camden stared across the street to see the Whitmore boy playing solo basketball in his yard "what did he do?"

"He's Jackson, isn't that enough?... Ready?" Sam growls with her arms crossed, it was no secret that she had liked the boy not all that long ago, but that when she'd tried to kiss him he laughed in her face and then that morning he'd pretty much kicked Isaac off his bike and that was the reason for the curly haired blondes scrapped face and hands.

The two twins looked at Isaac with that menacing gleam in their eye before stepping aside "Isaac would you like the honors?"

The blue eyed boy looked nervously from his friends to his brother, but Camden was just stood there with this look on his face, almost daring the younger boy to do it, thinking he'd wuss out. However with a lick of his lips Isaac reached for the thick rope holding the catapult in place and with one swift tug it released and shot across the street, releasing several water balloons into the air.

They all rushed to the window as the balloons erupted all over the street, one hit the street light, another a nearby car but most important of all, two, not one, two hit Jackson, knocking the little sleaze on his ass with the force. Camden laughs along with three children as they huddle together in a fit of giggles.

"Oh my god, his face!" Isaac wales from his corner of the floor.

Camden watches them with a shake of his head and a hard chuckle because it was funny as hell, watching that little shit Jackson scream and rave at the air, unsure about what the hell just happened, it was nice that Isaac had come to him or just acted like it didn't happen for a change.

Yeah, Camden thought Sam was kind of nuts and Spencer had a tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but they had been good to his dorky little brother and in all honestly Camden was just happy Isaac had actual friends.

The twins had been grounded for a week after that little stunt, Isaac to with a firm smack on the head from his mother who was less than pleased after talking to Mrs. Whitmore while his father laughed with a wink across from over his paper "come on Claire, at least the kids finally growing some balls and standing up for himself. Of course Cam would have just punched him but it's a start."

He seemed almost proud of the boy and Camden shook his head while Claire rolled her eyes and smacked her husband lightly on the chest before moving to place a kiss into the curls of her youngest boy "Hank don't be so crass, besides my baby is better than that, he's a sensitive boy."

"And that's the reason the boys a weakling, all that gushy crap you sprout at him." He was no secret that Mr. Lahey wasn't too pleased about Isaac being more of nerd, with his comic books and games, than a jock, but at least the kid was smart.

"Hank! You watch your tongue!" the woman who gave Isaac his brilliant blue eyes glared angrily, snatching the paper from her husband's hand as punishment.

Without a word Isaac stood up, collecting his books as his mother asked with a raised brow "Isaac, where are you going?"

"Elsie said I could stay over tonight remember?" she hadn't, but it was that frequent that Claire didn't question it, just kissed his brow and smiled warmly "ok honey, take a jacket."

"Hey Isaac… you did good today son." His father smiled with a nod of pride before Isaac walked out wordlessly with a forced twitch of a smile.

Before Isaac was half way down the path his name was echoed from behind him, turning he found his cocky brother hot on his heels "Isaac… you forgot your jacket."

He hands the piece of tattered denim over to the frowning boy before shoving his hands into his pockets "thanks."

"Listen; don't pay too much attention to dad ok? You know how he can get." It's weak, Camden knows that but he's not like their mom, he doesn't do well with sharing feelings and stuff.

Isaac doesn't meet his brother's gaze as he nods "Yeah, I know, your dad's favorite and I'm moms little boy. I get it."

Camden knew that Isaac got ragged on a lot, knew his dad was just pushing him, wanting him to be better but it hurt and he was his little brother, it was his job to make it all better right?

"Listen, Dad said the school has been talking about creating a Lacrosse team for a while now. We could train you up if you want, get you ready for the big leagues. You won't be able to try out for the school team until High School but I know the community center have one… if you want?" it wasn't much, but the look Isaac gave his brother was confused and hopeful.

"What about Swimming?"

"That's my thing, this could be yours." Camden watches his little brothers face light up almost as he nods hopefully "I'll think about it."

"Cool… well get your ass out of here dweeb." Isaac walked away from his home with a small smile at the suggestion.

Lacrosse; how hard could that be?

Elsie opened the door with her usual Cheerful smile at the sight of the small boy "Hey Isaac."

"Hey Elsie." He says walking past her because she was used to the kid just turning up by now, the fact that she hadn't said so much as a full sentence to the Lahey's before the twins had moved in was a moot point. Besides she liked the boy, when he first started coming around and calling her 'Miss. Pink and Ma'am' she almost laughed at how old it made her feel, insisting he call her by her first name.

She watched as he kicked off his shoes, not to dirty the chocolaty-cream carpet before racing up the stairs "Their camped out in Spencer's room, dinner will ready in twenty minutes."

She watched him go with a fond smile. Isaac was a good kid, plus he was the only reason Spencer was even passing math.

When Isaac managed to get into Spencer's room he smiled in awe, it had sheets pinned to the walls with pillows and duvets cushioning the floor. Spencer was sat in superman pj's, Sam wearing some pink nighty thing with clouds on it, both engrossed with The Addams Family movie lighting up the room.

"Seriously, this again?" Isaac groans as he drops his bag to take a seat beside the twins.

"Yep, now sit your butt down and pretend not to stare at Maritsa's boobs!" Spencer smirked with small shove of Isaac's shoulder, making the boy's cheeks flush slightly with a shake of his head as Isaac snaps back "keep talking Spence, some day you might actually say something worth hearing!"

Sam rolled onto her stomach with a pout, arms crossing over her none-existent chest that she'd suddenly become self-conscious about lately, a look completely lost on Spencer who just to occupied by Maritsa Addams… but Isaac noticed, like he'd noticed when it first happened; at the pool party the Gilligan's where having a few weeks back (having invited the whole street).

He hadn't meant to walk in, really but he was dripping chlorine all over the Gilligan's floor. She was crouched in the corner of the small bathroom in her brand new strawberry bathing suite, not a drop of water on her except the thin glaze of her mint green eyes "Sam?"

"Go away Isaac!" but he didn't, he closed the door and crouched before the small blonde girl.

He sits cross-legged, in utter silence as he watches his friend fight back the sobs. It's a full eight minutes before anything is said and It makes Isaac's brow twitch as she sniffles "do you think I'm pretty?"

"W-what? Well, yeah." it wasn't something Isaac had ever thought Sam would ask him _that_.

"But not like Lydia Martin pretty?" She looked so sad and that was when Isaac knew Jackson had done something, because Sam had been excited about this party, about her knew suit, about finally being able to talk to Jackson rather than moon at him at school or from across the street. And it was no secret that Jackson was crushing hard on Lydia, like so many of the boys and then there was the fact that Jackson is an asshole!

It wasn't until later that Isaac would find out about the near kiss and Jackson laughing in her face but that didn't matter right then because Sam was sad, almost heartbroken by her first real crush, so Isaac pulled her almost completely onto his lap as he fingered her curls "people only like Lydia because her mom lets her stuff her shirts and wear makeup… your way prettier."

"Really?" she looked more than a touch doubtful but Isaac just twitched his lip into a lopsided smirk with a raise of his brow "Really, really!"

That had made her smile, it was weak and unsure but it was better than her crying. So he'd helped her up, watched her walk over to her brother and Elsie with a smile. Spencer scooped her up and pulled her to the pool while Isaac went back inside; he still needed to pee after all.

Now; sat in Spencer's room beside the self-conscious preteen girl Isaac shrugs "anyway, I prefer Wednesday… she's cute, in a scary way."

Spencer rolled his eyes at his best friend before looking at his sister with a quirked brow, shaking his head to look back at the screen. He acts like he doesn't notice the shy smile shared between the two, the comment having made Sam feel a tad better because yeah, she's his sister and that's their best friend so… just no!

"You three wash your hands then get your butts down here!" They shot up and turned it into a race, finding it set and a stack of meatballs waiting.

Elsie stood before them, hands on her hips as they held out their hands for inspection "Ok you can sit down."

Sam rushes to take a seat beside Elsie while Spencer and Isaac sit opposite "So Isaac, anything new?"

Elsie was more than aware of the catapult incident but after an hour of arguing with the Whitmore's and having Jackson pull a constant bitch-face she was done talking about it, the kids were grounded for a week, but other than that she was kind of proud… and she hadn't high fived the twins after yelling at them at all.

Ok she had but she'll deny it.

"Um, actually I was thinking of starting Lacrosse at the community center." Isaac muttered with a thoughtful tone before taking a big bite and smearing sauce on his face.

The twins looked at each other with scrunched noses before saying in chorus with the other "what's that?"

"It's like…um… I don't know really but I know there are nets on sticks with a ball so, yeah." It's a feeble explanation but it's all he had to go on. It was the look on his face that made the others smile, he seemed almost happy, excited.

So with a wink Elsie smiles "well that's sounds like fun, right guys?"

"I guess, are there cheerleaders?" Spencer asked eagerly, getting a smack across the head at his smirk.

"Mimzy one, Rat zero" Sam smiled into the rim of her glass with a sly smile, causing Spencer to kick her under the table "don't make me pull off your whiskers, Mouse!"

"Hey, knock it off or Isaac's getting both your deserts!" Elsie scorned with a stern point of her finger at the pair. The fighting stopped with a quick pull of tongues before Elsie turned to the Lahey boy with a smile "So, Isaac, tell us more about this new adventure of yours."

It was a good night, they ate dessert in front of the TV and Sam ended up booting Elsie in the ribs, unable to control her limbs as the other three tickled her. Sam hated being tickled and Spencer hated being poked, but Elsie loved doing both just to watch them squirm.

The four of them where huddled into the makeshift tent until the credits to 'A Nightmare Before Christmas' roll across the screen. Elsie smiled as she laid a kiss on each of the blonde's head's before standing to turn off the TV but not before flicking on the starry nightlight; she'd learned the hard way that Spencer was not a big fan of the dark and the first few weeks, sleeping without his sister at his side, was more than a little daunting.

She sometimes still caught them sneaking into the others room after a bad dream or being unable to sleep, she never mentioned it just like she never mentioned about their old lives, the one that gave them the nightmares in the first place… she didn't want to intrude, they'd come to her if they needed her.

With one last look Elsie smiled, they looked peaceful "Sweet dreams my little monsters."

Sam was already fast asleep, curled into her moth eaten, floppy eared, fluffy pink Rabbit and patchwork blanket. Isaac was squashed between the twins in his own quilt, eyes closed as Spencer stared off into the churning stars on his ceiling "Spencer, stop thinking so loud you're giving me a headache."

"Sorry… hey, Isaac?" he didn't turn to look at his friend as Isaac sighed with a rub of his tired eyes "What?"

He licked at his lips anxiously with a shallow swallow, still fixated with the slowly moving constellations "When you start this Lacrosse thing, you'll still come around right?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Isaac turns to look at Spencer in the dimly lit room; grimacing at the other boy's vacant expression.

Spencer shrugs like it doesn't matter, but in the last few years Isaac's gotten to know the boy, meaning he knows better than to believe the uncaring tone in his voice "you'll get new friends, me and Sam won't seem as fun anymore. You'll leave."

"Don't be stupid! You guys are my best friends." It rolled off the tongue like nothing, because it was true.

Spencer's minty green eyes finally looked to his friend with a hint of wonder and bewilderment "really?"

"Well yeah." Isaac looked at Spencer like he'd asked the most stupid question ever spoken, because of course they were best friends. Spending days and nights talking about nothing and everything, Isaac knew things Elsie would shiver about, like why Sam was really afraid of clowns and why Spencer hated the beach so much.

A twitch of a smile come to Spencer's lips, he'd never had a best friend before, he never had much of anyone, just his little mouse, his Sam. With a glance over Isaac's mass of golden curls to his snugly sleeping sister Spencer nods "cool… you're our best friend to by the way."

"Oh, I know. Now go to sleep you big girl" Isaac laughed, flopping onto his back while his eyes fluttered to a close, as did Spencer's, his fretful mind now at ease.

The Button twins had become an important part of Isaac's life in the last few years and it was obvious the feeling was mutual... they needed each other.

They were best friends after all.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a sunny day, bright and warm, not a cloud in the sky and somehow that just felt wrong.

It should have been grim grey clouds pouring over them and utterly wretched, isn't that how funerals are meant to go?

Everything was so quiet and Isaac thought he might scream just to make it stop, the silence was deafening him. His grandma had dressed him that morning in his best suit, the itchy one with the to tight collar, while Hank sipped at his never ending glass of whiskey. Isaac wanted to hug his father, he wanted to cry and break and just have someone tell him it wasn't real. Just a bad dream… the worst dream in the world.

Hank hadn't so much as looked at the boy since a soldier with a woeful expression and tenderly written letter of regards had turned up at their door… not that he paid Isaac much mind these days anyway.

It had been a tough year for the Lahey's, first they'd lost Claire. She was taking Isaac and the twins out for ice-cream after his third actual Lacrosse game… they lost but Camden, who'd left with friend's, blamed the couch for not playing Isaac sooner. He knew how well his little brother played because they practiced every Sunday after dinner and at the community center on Thursdays after Swim Practice.

Claire was so proud; Hank was to, looking up moves and giving Isaac pointers.

Claire hadn't seen the light change; too busy arguing the best flavor's with the kids. Spencer was screaming, he'd called shot gun and Claire's vacant eyes stared through him as the blood dripped from her face and his cracked ribs throbbed mercilessly from inside. Sam was out cold, the bloody gash and twisted leg making her seem almost dead; causing Spencer to scream louder as he tried to unbuckle his belt and reach his sister, ignoring any pain that followed.

Isaac was seeing shapes and colors; it took a second for the pain of his broken arm to register. But as his vision cleared, he saw Spencer ragging on his belt and screaming "Sam! Sam, wake up! Wake up! I'm coming, I'm coming just…" he was struggling to get it loose as tears streamed down his face. Isaac wondered why his friend was screeching at Sam so loud; she just looked like she was sleeping…what's that in her hair?

Isaac doesn't understand, not until he sees _her. _

Claire's big baby blues she gave to her boys, but there's something missing, something very, very wrong. That sweet speckle of light isn't there and Isaac choked on the air as he sobbed through unshed tears "Mom?..."

"This is your fault! You and your stupid Lacrosse! Why couldn't you just do something normal then my wife wouldn't be dead!" Hank had screamed and screamed but when he'd grabbed Isaac by his hospital gown Camden moved like lightning and punched him square in the jaw, standing over his father Camden growled "don't you dare touch him… don't you dare."

Camden cried silent and hard, taking Isaac's shuddering hand as the boy stared off into the abyss. Hank left without a word but with a small regretful gaze over his shoulder.

Isaac hadn't spoken until the funeral, Camden did his best but it just wasn't enough and Hank well, he threw himself into work… the swim team slowly became his life.

When Elsie showed up with the twins Camden noticed the shaved hair and neatly sown stitches on the side of Sam's bruised up face as she hoppled in on her crutches, Spencer who looked banged up himself with a strained arm in a sling stuck to his sisters side more like solder than glue. Elsie watched the two with a close eye all day.

During the funeral tears we're shed a plenty, Claire Lahey was a loved woman, a good woman… a missed woman. Camden watched as Sam bit her lip fretfully, watching Isaac as they lowered the coffin and saw how she uncertainly laced her fingers through his, wrapping her other arm tightly around his as she curled in to rest her head on his shoulder before laying as small kiss upon it. He saw how Isaac gripped her nibble fingers and was grateful.

She was there for him.

It wasn't until the wake that after almost a week of dead silence Isaac spoke. It was starting to get dark and Camden had noticed the three friends vanish from the mournful gazes into Isaac's room. When he passed by half an hour later Camden heard his little brother whisper "do you miss your mom?"

Threw the crack he could see the three blondes, Sam's leg hoisted onto pillows in Isaac's lap while her head rested in Spencer's; who's taken to toying with his sisters her as he shrugged "sometimes I think I do, but our mom doesn't count."

Isaac arched a brow, fingering Sam's little toes as he asks "Why not?"

"Because your mom loved you." is all Spencer says, like it's a revelation.

"I think Mimzy counts. I'd miss Mimzy." Sam yarns sleepily, arching her back to better look at her brother.

Isaac nods in agreement, removing his already loosened tie "yeah, she counts."

Camden watched the three, content in their own little bubble of understanding. He looked over at Elsie, trying to sober Hank up with a kind smile as she wraps up the last of the buffet. Elsie is sweet and kind and good, Claire had always liked her and Camden walks off to help her with the dishes and his stumbling father, agreeing with the three blondes.

Elsie counted.

Now, as they stood over Camden's grave Sam repeated the actions she had that day, while Hank glared angrily at the boy. Elsie placed a tender hand on his shoulder; she packed his things up during the wake without as much as a word to Hank, who was too smashed to listen anyway.

She just knew she couldn't leave Isaac alone while his father was like this.

What would Claire say?

What would Camden say?

He's just a _boy_. It's _not_ his fault.

That's what they'd say.

Not that Hank believed that, he was never much of a believer in the '_everything happens for a reason_' thing. No, in his mind it was _Isaac's_ fault, he's the one that joined the Lacrosse team, coursing the accident that cost Hank his wife. _Isaac's_ the one that was mucking about with his friends at the party for the swim team, where Camden had been throwing them in… how was Cam to know the new arrival _Isaac _had invited over, couldn't swim? He'd been so guilt ridden and quiet those last few days, before he's announced he had signed up and was to become a Soldier.

Yeah, no way was Elsie going to leave him there.

Not tonight.

Elsie was quick to tuck them all into Sam's bed; they actually let Isaac pick the film for once and were in the middle of Jumanji when Elsie strolled through the door with a small tray in hand "who wants coca?"

Each kid wriggled as Elsie handed out the large warm mugs "minted with roasted marshmallows for Sam…Classic with cinnamon for Spencer and… Orange with extra roasted marshmallow's for Isaac."

"Thanks Elsie." Isaac smiles sweetly.

"You're welcome _Isaac_…" Elsie glares at the other two as they quickly mumble their own thanks.

With one last glance to the three little trouble makers Elsie smiled mournfully, he wasn't alone…

After losing Camden it's safe to say that things went from bad to worse for the last of the Lahey's. Hank soon lost his job at the school after he pinned a student to the wall in a drunken haze, meaning Isaac would spend even more time at the Pink/Button house just to avoid his father.

The first time Social Services were called Elsie was shocked, they'd questioned her and the twins, Hank looking over at the house suspiciously after he'd charmed some moron with a clipboard. Elsie had sat down the twins and sobbed after discovering they were the ones to make the call.

"He's hurting him, he's hurting my Isaac and no one is doing anything!" Sam screamed and ran up to her room, leaving Spencer and Elsie alone in the awkward tense silence. She blamed herself, why didn't she see it? It should have been her who called not them…. A firm hand grips hers and offers a tight lipped smile "it's not your fault Mimzy."

It was like Spencer could read her mind as she pulled the insightful boy close, hugging the life out of him as she kissed his brow.

How did she miss it?

After that the Elsie Pink and the Button twins were no longer welcome at the Lahey house, not that it stopped the kids from knocking for Isaac or Elsie from keeping a watchful eye on the house. They didn't see Isaac for almost a month, yeah there were the odd glances at school but every time one of his best friends come close Isaac scarpered.

Sam kept crying, she blamed herself for Isaac no longer wanting to have anything to do with them. Elsie held her as the young girl wept; Spencer watched from the crack of the door with white knuckled fists… no one makes his little Mouse cry.

It was the day after that Spencer cornered Isaac in the community center after his Lacrosse practice (Camden had all but threated him after his mom died he said he was going to quit.) Spencer had never really been the violent type but this asshole, best friend or not, had made his sister cry, so yeah he shoved Isaac right into the nearby wall and growled angrily "do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Spencer?" Isaac looked at him like a deer caught in the high-beams of a hummer.

Spencer scoffed with a shake of his head an d a cruel smile "Oh so you do remember me, I thought your dad had smacked you around so much that you got amnesia or something because you haven't even looked at me or Sam in a month. Sam, you remember her right?"

"Spence I just don't think… look you guys got me into serious trouble ok?" Isaac was standing now, straitening his clothes as he spoke.

Spencer laughed manically, swiping a hand over his face as he stared down his best friend "we were trying to help you Isaac, because what's what friends do. We were scared for you, now? Now Sam thinks you hate us, she's in pieces and quite frankly I hate you for that…"

At Isaac's shocked and hurt baby blues Spencer's rage fades back to the numb hurt "Look, Isaac if you're done with us then fine, but just know that what you've done here is wrong. You're meant to be our best friend and what suddenly we don't exist? I trusted you man, I told you stuff, I let you in and you know how hard that is for us. And Sam; she doesn't know how to care about people without giving them everything of her, yeah she'll talk to anyone about anything but she doesn't actually let people in. it's not something we do and I knew we shouldn't have, I knew this would happen sooner or later, because that's the way it goes but Sam… you know what, forget it."

Isaac felt his chest tighten at the words as Spencer turned his back on his friend "wait, Spencer…"

"We were there for you. Remember that when you've got no one left!" his minted eyes barely looked over his shoulder as he spoke, then with a shake of his head he walked away.

Sam sat in her room wearing her favorite Cookie Monster pajamas that hang on her pale bones with her headphones plugged into her babyish face, not bothering to get dressed that lazy Sunday afternoon… she was tied. She was tied a lot these days, not to mention the headaches. She figured she was coming down with some flu or somthing but Sam didn't care about that, she was moping, she'd lost her best friend and she was allowed to mope dammit.

"Hey…" she almost screamed as a lean figure crawled in through her half open window, jumping out of her pale skin as she glares in confusion "Isaac? What the hell are you doing, this isn't 'Scream' and you're no Billy Loomis. You don't just climb through a girls window, like some creepy…creeper!"

"I wasn't trying to scare you." He answers staring fixatedly on the floor with his hands shoved into the deeps of his jean pockets.

They both stood there for a few long moments, quiet until Sam, unable to keep still fiddled with the corner of her shirt "Isaac, why _did_ you crawl through my window?"

With a shrug Isaac shuffled closer "It looked cool on TV. Plus I wanted the talk to you."

"Really?" Sam's big anime green orbs somehow got even bigger as he voice squeaked with hope.

Isaac nods and takes a seat on the bed, looking up at the blonde as he speaks "My dad told me I couldn't hang out with you guys anymore and instead of telling him to fuck off I just did it. I've been a jerk, I know and I'm sorry, I'm sorry I hurt you and I know I let you guys down and I'm sorry… I miss you, there's nothing else I can say. I just really miss you."

He watches her stony expression for a long moment until an inane smile spread over her face and she pretty much jumped into his lap, squeezing her arms around his neck before she called out "Rat, Rat! Get in here."

Spencer walked in with half a bag of Cheetos down his faded grey shirt before asking "what is it now Mouse?"

Spencer stopped in his tracks at the sight of Isaac sat on his sisters bed, wincing slightly from an unseen injury Sam had squished into with her hug "Look, my boys, my boys are both here. Everything's good again… oh I'll go and get the snacks you guys pick a movie, maybe a Batman marathon?"

As she rushed out of the room, almost tripping over her own feet, Isaac stood and swallowed hard as he looked to Spencer's cold glare "So, you done being a giant douche?"

"Yeah, I believe so."

The glare melts into a warm smile as Spencer rushes over, open armed to his friend "cool now I don't have to beat the crap out of you."

"Ha, you wish." Isaac laughs for the first time in what feels like forever, hugging his friend.

Elsie was working late that night, so the kids had the place mostly to themselves. Isaac had called his dad to say he was staying over at Danny's house due to a late Math study session. They each Elsie out of house and home, Isaac passing out in his boxers and t-shirt a little more than half way through 'Batman Forever'.

Sam curled her fingers around her brothers and smiled, kissing his cheek "thank you."

"For?" he looked a little confused but he knew and he knew she knew.

With a nod of her head to the boy happily drooling away in his slumbering daze and a raised brow Spencer gave up the act with a crooked smile "Yeah well, you we're being all miserable and stuff. When you're unhappy, I'm unhappy. It's a twin thing."

Sam laughs, flicking back her golden ponytail as she takes her brother's arm around her, using him as a human pillow while Isaac's long legs tanged with hers to keep her temperamental dainty feet warm. "I love you Rat."

"I love you to little Mouse." He smiled with a mutter, half-lidded eyes trying to focus on the screen.

It was almost midnight by the time Elsie got home, but judging by the Pizza boxes and mountain of candy wrappers she guessed the kids head fed themselves. Kicking off her soul crushing heels Elsie sighed in joyous relief before heading up to check in on the little monsters, when Spencer's room was empty she didn't panic, knowing the pair had a tendency to dose off in the others room. She was shocked however to see Isaac playing big spoon to Sam, who was tucked into the safety of her brothers bony chest.

Shocked but happy.

It's good that they made up, since social services where still sitting on their asses. She knew Isaac would always have a safe place to go to, he was just a boy and she knew how much the twins loved him, how Spencer grew angry and Sam cried when he pulled away, but that was over now.

Now things could start to get better.

Yeah, that's what Elsie truly believes as she moved into the room, closing the window and pulling the blankets up over the trio. That's when the flickering light of the TV illuminated Spencer's washed-out shirt, now stained it a deep sticky red and it was growing as the blood pooled out of his sisters nose like a faucet "Oh my god, Sam!"


End file.
